Stretton Unfiltered

By Stretton Unfiltered

Welcome to Stretton Unfiltered. The podcast where fashion, purpose, and unapologetic conversation meet. Hosted by Annah and Sami Stretton, this series takes you behind the seams of a legacy brand and ... more

· Business

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FAQs about Stretton Unfiltered:

How many episodes does Stretton Unfiltered have?

The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.

Stretton Unfiltered episodes:

July 08, 2026 Ep: 27 Building True Colours: One Woman's Extraordinary Legacy | Dr Cynthia Ward
For more than twenty-two years, Dr Cynthia Ward has quietly stood beside families experiencing every parent's worst fear.
As the founder of True Colours Children's Health Trust, she has built one of New Zealand's most respected children's support organisations, providing counselling, nursing care and education for children living with life-limiting illness and the families who love them. Remarkably, she built it without government funding—through community generosity, unwavering determination and a belief that every child deserves to be heard.
In this deeply moving conversation, Annah Stretton explores the moments that shaped Cynthia's extraordinary journey, from a twelve-year-old boy who changed the way she understood childhood and dying, to walking through a gang guard at the gate to reach a critically ill child, and the story behind the name True Colours, gifted by Tim Finn.
This isn't simply a conversation about illness.
It's about courage, compassion, grief, hope, and what it means to dedicate your life to helping others through their darkest days.

Learn more about the incredible work of True Colours HERE 🌈🦋

Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
59min
July 08, 2026 Building True Colours: One Woman's Extraordinary Legacy *Short*
For more than twenty-two years, Dr Cynthia Ward has quietly stood beside families experiencing every parent's worst fear.
As the founder of True Colours Children's Health Trust, she has built one of New Zealand's most respected children's support organisations, providing counselling, nursing care and education for children living with life-limiting illness and the families who love them.
Remarkably, she built it without government funding through community generosity, unwavering determination and a belief that every child deserves to be heard.
In this deeply moving conversation, Annah and Cynthia explore the moments that shaped Cynthia's extraordinary journey, from a twelve-year-old boy who changed the way she understood childhood and dying, to walking through a gang guard at the gate to reach a critically ill child, and the story behind the name True Colours, gifted by Tim Finn.
Listen to the full story on our latest Stretton Unfiltered episode, out 3pm today
...more
2min
July 01, 2026 Ep 26: The Flight Coffee Story: Building, Losing, Reinventing
How do you build one of New Zealand’s most recognised coffee brands in a market already crowded with hundreds of roasters?
This week on Stretton Unfiltered, I talk to Nick Clark, co-founder of Flight Coffee, about the reality behind the brand.
The wins. The near losses. The reinvention. The brutal COVID hit. The move from café to wholesale, supermarkets, pods, canned coffee and The Hangar in Wellington.
What I loved most was the way Flight has kept evolving without losing its values, including its commitment to the coffee growers and communities it works with in Colombia.
This is not just a conversation about coffee.It is a sharp, honest look at what it takes to build, almost lose, rethink and keep growing a business in one of New Zealand’s most competitive industries.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
1h 10min
June 24, 2026 Ep 25: Will AI Replace You or Make You Richer?
Will AI Replace You or Make You Richer?
What if you're already being outperformed by AI and don't even know it?
Artificial Intelligence is no longer coming. It's here, quietly reshaping business, education, creativity, retail, and the way we work every day. The real question is whether you're using it or being left behind by those who are.
In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Matt Browning, entrepreneur, AI specialist, and co-founder of Incredible, a New Zealand company building AI systems and automation tools used by businesses around the world.
Matt's journey into AI didn't start in Silicon Valley. It started with curiosity, problem solving, and a determination to teach himself the tools that are now transforming entire industries.
Together, Annah and Matt tackle some of the biggest questions facing all of us right now:
• Is AI making us smarter or slowly making us obsolete?
• Why are so many New Zealand businesses dangerously behind the curve?
• Could your job exist in its current form five years from now?
• What are the real privacy and security risks nobody is talking about?
• How much of your daily work could AI already do better and faster?
• What happens to creativity, retail, education, and human connection when machines become collaborators?
Along the way, Annah shares how AI has become part of her own daily life, from building business systems and drafting proposals on the move to capturing ideas and conversations she never wants to lose.
This is not a conversation about technology. It's a conversation about the future of work, the future of business, and the future of being human.
Whether you're excited by AI, sceptical of it, or quietly terrified by how fast it's moving, this episode will challenge what you think you know and leave you asking one question: If AI changes everything, what happens next?
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚

...more
1h 20min
June 17, 2026Ep 24: Why Perfect Content Is Killing Your Reach | Annah & Sami Stretton
Social media strategy is one of the most searched topics for small business owners right now, and for good reason. The rules keep changing, the platforms keep shifting, and businesses that stop learning risk becoming invisible.

In this episode, Annah and Sami get honest about the social media journey behind a 34-year-old fashion brand finding its feet in a world where video is king, authenticity is currency, and a jar of lollies can outperform a polished campaign.

From carefully curated Instagram feeds to founder led content that stops the scroll, they unpack what it has actually taken to evolve their digital presence, the mistakes they have made along the way, and why staying relevant online requires ongoing investment, experimentation, and a willingness to adapt.

They talk about:
Why Instagram Reels outperform static posts and what they are doing differently on TikTok.
The paid vs organic split that changed how they show up online.
A sugar jar, a bare face, and a woman on the street outperforming carefully planned content.
Why being true to your brand voice beats chasing trends every time.
Why TikTok is now a search engine and what that means for your business.
Why upskilling in social media is now as essential as any other business investment.
This is a candid, behind the scenes look at social media from two women who are still learning, still testing, and still adapting to a landscape that never stands still. Whether you are a small business owner, content creator, or brand trying to grow your online presence, this conversation offers practical lessons on what is working right now and why standing still is no longer an option.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
58min
June 10, 2026 Ep23: How I Stopped Prison Becoming My Family Legacy
Before the justice system ever entered her life, Gail Maney had already survived more than most people face in a lifetime. Domestic violence, poverty, sexual abuse, addiction, and a childhood that never gave her a fair shot. Then in 1997, police charged her with a murder she had absolutely nothing to do with, built on fabricated testimony, witness coercion, and a justice system that failed her at every turn. She was convicted and spent 15 years in prison paying for someone else's crime.

In October 2024, the Court of Appeal quashed her conviction, acknowledging a serious miscarriage of justice. But the court ruling is only part of the story. Gail sits down with Annah to share what prison actually does to a human being, what survival looks like when the barriers existed long before the prison gates closed, and what freedom really feels like when the stigma, the criminal record, and the trauma do not just disappear with an acquittal.

This is a story about resilience, about the cost of injustice, and about one woman who never stopped fighting for the truth.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
1h 30min
June 03, 2026 Ep 22: The Human Cost Of The Gender Debate | Mary Haddock-Staniland
For more than 20 years, Annah Stretton has known Mary Haddock-Staniland not as a political talking point, but simply as a friend.

In this deeply personal and timely conversation, Mary shares her journey as one of New Zealand’s most prominent transgender advocates, media personalities, and diversity leaders, reflecting on identity, belonging, respect, and the emotional impact of seeing transgender lives debated publicly once again.

The discussion explores the wider conversation surrounding New Zealand’s proposed “Definitions of Woman and Man” Amendment Bill, not through political outrage or division, but through lived experience, curiosity, and humanity.

Mary speaks openly about growing up in Matamata, navigating gender dysphoria from childhood, building an international executive career, and the personal cost of constantly having your identity publicly questioned. Together, Annah and Mary unpack the difference between acceptance and respect, why dignity matters, and how everyday conversations shape whether people feel safe, seen, and valued.

This episode is not about sensationalism or ideology. It is about understanding the human being behind the headlines.

A thoughtful, compassionate conversation about identity, kindness, inclusion, and the importance of staying curious in a world increasingly driven by division.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
1h 4min
May 27, 2026 Ep 21: Lipstick, Grit & Global Markets: The Karen Murrell Story
She grew up in Te Awamutu, lost a business partner, started over more than once, fought counterfeiters all the way to China's Supreme Court, and built one of New Zealand's most recognised natural lipstick brands sold across Australia, China, the US and beyond.

In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with Karen Murrell, the founder behind the iconic Karen Murrell lipstick brand, for a conversation that is as honest as it is inspiring. Karen opens up about the health battles that shaped her resilience, the early careers that quietly built her knowledge of sales, manufacturing and markets, and the moment she Googled how to make skincare in a borrowed computer and launched her first business from scratch.

She shares what it really takes to break into international markets, the hard lessons of the Daigou channel, the counterfeiting battle that cost her years and a fortune, and why designing love notes into every product has always been her point of difference.

This is a conversation about knowing your craft deeply, backing yourself when no one else will, and building something that endures, not just something that sells.

For women in business, for anyone who has had to start again, and for anyone who has ever underestimated how far a good lipstick can travel.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
1h 5min
May 20, 2026Ep 7: The Wins, The Losses - 34 Years of Building Annah Stretton
We have re-recorded this episode in celebration of the Annah Stretton brand turning thirty-four. Thirty-four years of building the Annah Stretton clothing brand is worth celebrating. But behind the brand sits a woman who has never been able to stop at just one idea.

In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, Annah sits down with her daughter Sami to take an honest look at the ventures that have run alongside the clothing company over the years. The side hustles, the passion projects, the bold swings that did not quite land, and the ones that exceeded every expectation.

This episode unpacks:
A wellness retreat born from attending one and deciding she could absolutely do it herself
Sewing kits that opened doors across Australia but that no one actually wanted to sew
Four Australian stores that never quite clicked with the Aussie beach girl
A magazine empire that cost a fortune but introduced Annah to some of the most remarkable women in the country, including a Prime Minister
A rosé that became the signature drink at every event, even if it never quite made business sense
Olive's Kitchen, brewed on the kitchen bench and now a thriving New Zealand pet wellness brand with a loyal and growing following
RAW, now 12 years in, quietly changing the lives of women coming out of the justice system
Hopefish, opening twice a year for women facing inequality and financial hardship who simply need someone to back them into education.

This is a conversation about what it really means to back yourself, repeatedly, across decades, in spaces well outside your lane. About knowing when to hold on and when to walk away. And about why failure is never the end of the story, it is just the part that teaches you the most.If you are building something of your own, or wondering whether your stumbles are worth it, this one is for you.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
1h 1min
May 13, 2026Ep 20: Matt Stark on Losing $1M and Reshaping Hamilton
At 23, he lost a million dollars.
By 24, he was mowing lawns.
What followed was a rebuild from the ground up, from liquidation talks, bank meetings that changed everything, and a decision to keep going when most people would have stopped.
In this episode of Stretton Unfiltered, we sit down with Matt Stark, property developer behind some of Hamilton’s most recognisable spaces, including Riverbank Lane and MADE in Hamilton East. Matt shares the raw reality behind building a business, the early days of uncertainty, and how a long-term belief in Hamilton’s city centre shaped everything that followed. We explore the $110M deal, the failures that came before success, and why he believes retail, community, and city making are still deeply human at their core.
We explore:
Losing everything in his early 20s and starting again.
The mindset shift from survival to city shaping.
Why Riverbank Lane became a turning point for Hamilton CBD.
The thinking behind MADE and its evolving ecosystem of makers and retailers.
Decisions that prioritised people over profit.
Why relationships, not rent, have driven long-term success.
And what comes next when you’ve already built more than you ever planned.
This is a story about risk, resilience, and rebuilding a city one decision at a time.
Connect with us on socials
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Instagram
🎧 Stretton Unfiltered Facebook
🌸 Annah Stretton TikTok
🌸 Annah Stretton Instagram
🌸 Annah Stretton Facebook
🌸 Join our VIP page
🌸 www.annahstretton.co.nz

SHOP OUR BOOKS 📖
Rag Trade To Mag Trade:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Grit Before Grace:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
Wise Heart:
Ebook available here
Order the physical book here 📚
...more
57min

FAQs about Stretton Unfiltered:

How many episodes does Stretton Unfiltered have?

The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.